There have been periods of absolute bliss in my life when I wished time would stand still, and the pure joy of living and being with special people could be captured and stay frozen in time!
Of course, those moments are captured and imprinted in all our minds, but they're no longer tangible. Out of reach, cannot be seen except in our mind's eye.
Seasons come and go, and so do the things that make us happy. Is there a way to capture it?
Carefree days
I remember my childhood days when the extended family gathered at my Ouma and Oupa's house - cousins, aunts, and uncles. Coming from a family who have a love of life, and each other; family get-togethers were filled with pranks, tall tales, music, and loads of laughter.
The menfolk would make the music; Dad was a super-talented musician and played various instruments; the other men would fashion homemade drums and other instruments from whatever they could find in the garage, and we'd all sing along and dance.
Us kids often staged concerts, with much clapping and standing ovations from the older folk! Mom's youngest brother was everyone's favourite, and would tell spooky stories, bringing them to life with his theatrics. I was terrified afterward, afraid of the dark, and would sleep with the sheets pulled over my head, just in case a ghost appeared and touched me in the night.
Why do kids love hearing spooky tales when it gives them the chills? But we wanted to hear more!
My Oupa once played a prank on us, covering himself with a sheet, and hid behind a shrub in the garden one night. We'd gone to the cafe, and as we walked through the gate, he jumped out, making awful sounds! We all ran into the house screaming, with Oupa in tow. Of course, we all had a good laugh at that prank, but Oupa laughed the loudest!
After one of the best times together, I clearly remember the sadness I felt when I tearfully asked Mom why we could not all live together forever!
It simply did not make sense to my young mind that we all had to live so far apart when we loved being together.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Pure Bliss
I never was the broody type but when my older son was born, I was absolutely in awe of my beautiful, perfect baby. I remember crying one night as I knew I would not forever be able to protect him from harm. They call it the baby blues, but it only happened that one time. Three years later when a second baby boy came into our lives, life was pure bliss! I wanted time to stand still and life to stay that way forever, but of course, nothing stays frozen in time!
Just the Two of Us
It truly was the golden era!
The empty nest syndrome kicked in soon after the kids flew the nest, but it turned into a time of renewal. We were back where we started - just the two of us! Without all the distractions and struggles a growing family experiences, we rediscovered what brought us together. We both felt content and enjoyed this new phase in our lives.
The day came when I felt pure bliss in this new golden era and told hubby I did not want it to ever end!
That was to be the final season in our lives together, and when it came to an end, I was devastated.
I now finally realize that life cannot stay frozen in time and that I must grab every new adventure that comes my way as time melts away in the blink of an eye!
Create your own Forever Memory Bank
Join our community of awesome content creators
right here on HIVE
𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩
Join our Silver Bloggers community 
Artwork by @artywink
Join our Silver Bloggers community
Artwork by @artywink
Oh wow! There were some violently contrasting emotions provoked by those words... The idea of capturing the happiness of a time, a moment, a feeling of love is mesmerising and more than enticing. Until it passes though we never truly realise the value.
But yes, there is a lot to be said for remembering and treasuring those memories that are almost tangible, that move us deeply when we revisit them.
The sweet, innocent naivety of childhood, you know something, I never actually decided that to follow it didn't make more sense than following the ideas of the adults.
Grandparents love and 'shared history' filled homes always seem to be the meeting point for families and so often a profound memory of loss when those grandparents have gone, I know this only too well.
The joy and connection you found rather than 'empty nest' feelings later in life is heartening and a lesson on perspective for many. We are at this stage of life too right now and do look forward to looking after ourselves a little after working so hard to ensure our daughters were raised well.
I hope that final season together, bittersweet in nature though it certainly was brings a treasure trove of wonderful memories and a genuine warmth when brought to mind that brings comfort.
I am forced to use the word bittersweet again in it's truest sense of the word, the ebb and flow of life sometimes feels more like crashing, unpredictable highs and lows, they all teach us a very special lesson about love...
Even when it is so very painful to hear.
It will be a little while before your words leave my mind, I confess. I am very happy to have crossed paths with you again and send the very warmest wishes to you and yours.
Take good care of you 😊
Yes, when our grandparents die, those big family gatherings come to an end. Fortunately, my aunt took over, but the gatherings shrunk a little. Still was wonderful, but I was grown up by then, and understood, unlike my childlike dream of us living together as one big clan!
Enjoy this season in your life, and treasure every moment, however trivial it may seem.
Bittersweet memories for sure, but they're starting to feel a tad more sweet, with just a tinge of sadness!
Thank you so much for your very thoughtful words @stevenwood <3 Have a wonderful Friday with your loved ones @stevenwood <3
Your comment is upvoted by @topcomment
Info - Support - Discord
Oh sweet one <3 I know it's a cliche, but better to have loved and lost than to not love at all, no? And so many beautiful moments you had in your life of true, pure happiness <3 It's more than some, maybe more than a lot of people. What a bit of luck. Something to treasure. Beautiful to read, @lizelle.
Absolutely, sweet @honeydue, I can use another cliche and say my cup did runneth over many times in my life. way more than many people. Truly something treasure! I believe in angels, and indeed had many of them enter my life at just the right moment - disguised as ordinary people <3
Oh if only we could make time go back or stand still in a particular moment. Thanks for sharing with us your lovely moments in time.
Thank you for reading @apanamamama! I've been blessed indeed throughout my life!
True, We can't stay frozen in time. Life keeps moving and all we can do is move with it. Embracing new adventures along the way. 😍
I'm now ready to embrace the new adventures, takes time after a loss, but one has to carry on doing the job of living and do it well, right?
Thank you for the visit @gretelarmfeg
You're welcome. You are right, embracing the new adventure is a courageous step. Wishing you strength to keep going 😍
💞